The small domain northeast of Velrois was a quaint, peaceful place, a stark contrast to the bustling city we had left behind. The inn we chose was modest but clean, offering a respite from the journey. As I settled into my room, my mind was already racing with ideas and plans.
'This world is so different from Earth,' I thought, 'yet so similar in its own way. The challenges are greater, the stakes higher, but the principles remain the same. Adapt, innovate, and overcome.'
I summoned the Celestial Vault, the ring's gem glowing softly as I retrieved the pair of clear glasses. They were an artifact from the Devil's Forest ruins, and their design reminded me of the glasses from Earth. It was a curious find, given that glasses weren't common in this world. Magic could cure most ailments, making such devices almost obsolete.
'But why create them in the first place?'I wondered. 'What purpose did they serve 900 years ago?'
I decided to wear the glasses, checking for any special properties. To my surprise, they were as clear as crystal, offering an unobstructed view. The idea of enchanting them crossed my mind, but I needed something practical, something that would give me an edge.
'Seeing through clothes would be amusing,' I thought with a chuckle. The idea sparked a fleeting amusement, but it was quickly overshadowed by the gravity of my mission. 'But not very useful in the long run.' The humor lingered only briefly as my mind shifted back to the task at hand. 'Well, I can still make it later,' I mused.
Instead, I focused on a more practical idea: enchanting the glasses to measure someone's mana/aether capacity just by looking at them. It would be a valuable tool, especially in a world where power was everything.
I summoned an artifact designed to etch runes from my Celestial Vault. The delicate craftsmanship hinted at ancient knowledge, and I held it carefully, knowing the importance of precision. As I began to etch the runes, I couldn't help but draw a parallel to my past life. Rune enchantment was a lot like computer programming—each symbol had to be precise, and the sequence had to be flawless for the enchantment to work.
'Just like coding,' I thought, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. 'One misplaced symbol, and the whole thing could fail.'
I started with the basic Lunari sequence for detecting mana:
'''𐌏𐌋𐌆𐌋𐌉𐌎𐌏𐌕
𐌇𐌐𐌌𐌄𐌉 𐌂𐌋𐌀𐌐𐌉𐌉𐌕𐌉 {
𐌇𐌐𐌌𐌄𐌉: "ᚲ";
𐌄𐌐𐌂𐌌𐌀: "𐌄𐌋𐌉𐌆𐌀𐌐𐌉𐌂 𐌌𐌉𐌌𐌄 𐌄𐌌 𐌌𐌐𐌆.";
}
'''
This rune would activate the detection mechanism, allowing the glasses to sense mana. Next, I added a rune to measure the detected mana:
'''𐌏𐌋𐌆𐌋𐌉𐌎𐌏𐌕
𐌇𐌐𐌌𐌄𐌉 𐌌𐌆𐌋𐌌𐌀𐌋𐌌𐌀𐌀𐌇𐌉 {
𐌇𐌐𐌌𐌄𐌉: "ᛗ";
𐌄𐌐𐌂𐌌𐌀: "𐌌𐌌𐌂𐌉𐌇𐌉 𐌉𐌂 𐌇𐌉 𐌌𐌌𐌐𐌆.";
}
'''
Finally, I included a rune to display the measured mana capacity:
'''𐌏𐌋𐌆𐌋𐌉𐌎𐌏𐌕
𐌇𐌐𐌌𐌄𐌉 𐌌𐌀𐌎𐌋𐌉𐌋𐌉 {
𐌇𐌐𐌌𐌄𐌉: "ᛏ";
𐌄𐌐𐌂𐌌𐌀: "𐌋𐌐𐌋𐌌𐌉𐌆𐌋𐌉𐌌𐌀 𐌌𐌌𐌂𐌉𐌇𐌉𐌀.";
}
'''
The sequence was complex, but my background in programming made it feel familiar. Each rune was a line of code, each symbol a command that would bring the glasses to life. I worked meticulously, ensuring that every rune was etched with precision.
Hours passed, and finally, the last rune was etched. I stepped back, admiring my work. The glasses now bore an aura of power, their true potential unlocked. I put them on, feeling a surge of energy as the enchantment took hold. With these glasses, I could now measure the mana capacity of any individual with just a glance, a valuable tool in our quest.
The next day, as we prepared to leave town, I decided to test the glasses. Galen, ever the loyal companion, tried his best not to laugh, but his amusement was evident.
"Your Highness, are you sure about those... glasses?" Galen asked, his voice trembling with suppressed laughter. "They look weird."
I chuckled, adjusting the glasses on my nose. "Galen, these aren't just any glasses. They're enchanted to see through clothes." It was a joke. I just liked to see how he would react.
Galen's eyes widened in shock, and then he burst into laughter. "I should have known you'd come up with something like that! Can I also test it?"
I grinned, enjoying the light-hearted moment. "I'm just joking. They're enchanted to measure mana capacity."
Galen raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "Measure mana capacity? With those glasses? You could have enchanted them to see through clothes, Your Highness."
I laughed, shaking my head. "True, but practical tools are more important right now. Besides, who knows what the future holds?" I grinned. "Just wait and see, Galen. You'll be amazed at what these can do."
As we made our way through the town, the sound of a scuffle caught our attention. A group of six men was beating a young boy, probably around 14 years old. My instincts kicked in, and I stepped forward, my voice firm.
"Stop," I commanded, my gaze hardening as I looked at the men. They laughed, seeing us as mere travelers in normal clothes.
"This isn't your business," one of them sneered. "Leave."
I turned to Galen, my voice steady. "Galen, teach them a lesson."
Galen's eyes glinted with a mix of amusement and determination. "With pleasure, Draven."
The first man, a burly brute with a scar across his cheek, swung a wild punch at Galen. "You're gonna regret this, stranger!" he growled.
Galen easily dodged it, countering with a powerful uppercut that sent the man reeling backward. "Is that the best you've got?" Galen taunted, a smirk on his face.
The second man, leaner and more agile, tried to kick Galen in the side. "You're dead meat!" he shouted.
Galen blocked the kick with his forearm and retaliated with a swift kick to the man's knee, sending him crumpling to the ground. "You'll have to do better than that," Galen said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
The third and fourth men attacked simultaneously, one from the front and the other from the side. "Get him!" one of them shouted.
Galen spun, his elbow connecting with the jaw of the man in front, while his foot swept the legs of the man attacking from the side. Both men hit the ground hard, groaning in pain. "Pathetic," Galen muttered.
The fifth man, seeing his comrades fall, hesitated for a moment. Galen used that moment to close the distance, his fist connecting with the man's stomach, doubling him over. A quick knee to the face sent the man sprawling. "Next," Galen said, his voice cold.
The sixth man, the last one standing, looked around in panic. "Please, don't hurt me!" he begged.
Galen advanced on him, his eyes cold and determined. "Too late for that," he said, grabbing the man by the collar, lifting him off the ground, and throwing him into a nearby wall. The man slumped to the ground, unconscious.
I walked over to the boy, who was now sitting up, his gray hair tousled and falling over his forehead, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and gratitude. His thin frame trembled slightly, yet there was a resilience in his posture that belied his apparent fragility. "What's your name?" I asked gently, keeping my tone soft to avoid alarming him further. "Are you okay?"
"Andre, I'm... I'm fine," he replied, his voice surprisingly steady despite the ordeal he had just endured. His gray eyes locked onto mine, a depth in them that seemed far beyond his years.
As I looked at him, something about his presence struck me deeply. The way the sunlight caught the streaks of silver in his hair gave him an almost ethereal glow, and his gaze, though wary, held a quiet intensity.
I decided to measure his mana capacity again, focusing intently on the glasses perched on my nose. The arcane symbols etched into the lenses began to flicker rapidly. To my astonishment, the glasses displayed a reading that made my heart skip a beat.
'What does this mean?' I thought, my curiosity growing.
The display on the glasses oscillated erratically, flickering between zero and an infinite symbol. My mind raced, attempting to comprehend the anomaly. This was unprecedented—an enigma that defied all known magical metrics.
'Is he somehow different? Or is there something more to this boy than meets the eye?'The questions swirled in my mind, each one more urgent than the last. Andre's eyes never wavered from mine, as if silently questioning me, too.